As they left from the Cousins Center in St. Francis, Archbishop Jerome Listecki lauded the travelers' bravery for heading to Rome, where 3 million out-of-towners will converge for an historic canonization.

TO THE VATICAN. WHY MILWAUKEE ARCHBISHOP JEROME LISTECKI AND DOZENS OF LOCAL PILGRIMS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO ROME AT THIS HOUR. THE GROUP WILL JOIN MILLIONS OF CATHOLICS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR A VERY SPECIAL EVENT THIS WEEKEND. GOOD EVENING. I'M KATHY MYKLEBY. I'M CRAIG MCKEE. NEW AT SIX: WISN 12 NEWS COLLEEN HENRY IS LIVE AT THE COUSINS CENTER IN ST. FRANCIS WHERE THE GROUP JUST LEFT. ...AS THEY GATHERED FOR A SEND-OFF MASS HERE, ARCHBISHOP LISTECKI LAUDED THE TRAVELERS' BRAVERY FOR HEADING TO ROME WHERE THREE MILLION OUT-OF- TOWNERS WILL CONVERGE FOR AN HISTORIC CANONIZATION. THE BUS TOOK OFF ABOUT AN HOUR AGO HEADED TO O'HARE FOR AN OVERNIGHT TRIP TO ROME ...AND A WEEKLONG ADVENTURE WITH MILWAUKEE'S ARCHBISHOP AS SPIRITUAL TOUR GUIDE OF SORTS. ARCHBISHOP JEROME LISTECKI/ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE: ON SUNDAY, POPE FRANCIS WILL ELEVATE TWO OF HIS PREDECESSORS TO SAINTHOOD - POPE JOHN THE 23RD - WHO WAS POPE FROM 1958-1963 - AND POPE JOHN PAUL THE SECOND - WHO SERVED FROM 1978- 2005. HARTFORD'S LEONA FRIDAY IS THRILLED TO BE HONORING MODERN-DAY SAINTS, LEONA FRIDAY/PILGRIM: POPE JOHN PAUL 2 WAS VERY CONSERVATIVE AND OLD- FASHIONED AND POPE JOHN 23 WAS OUTGOING WITH NEW IDEAS... THAT'S WHY POPE FRANCIS PUT THE TWO TOGETHER. PUT THE TWO TOGETHER.